-Naruto SPOILERS-

The boy hit the ground at his master's feet, barely catching himself with one arm, the other trapped beneath his own body. Despite the pain from the scattered bruises and scrapes he bore and the fresh sting of the slap that had felled him, he made no sound, but raised himself up slowly on his free arm. Blood trickled from the corners of his grim mouth, and a small pink tongue slipped out to catch the tear that rolled unbidden down his cheek.

Sasori shuffled closer, his artificial "body" silent save for the swish of the black-and-red cloak it bore. "Well...have you learned your lesson now...Kabuto?"

Kabuto flinched slightly at the way his Akatsuki master said his name, though he tried to hide it.

He looked sideways up at the hulking figure above of him, and like the obedient puppet he was responded as he was expected to.

"Hai, Sasori-sama."

His eyes alone betrayed his innermost thoughts.

How could you...

---

The ficlet is awful, I know.
Ignore it...I wrote it in, like, ten minutes. T_____T
The picture required explanation, so...

Wanted to capture the emotion of the phrase "How could you?" really badly.
Don't know why. Just did.
Did I get the expression right...?
Hope so.

Also wanted to draw something with blood and tears.
Always interesting to color.
And also...I wanted to draw a small pink tongue.
...I know it's weird.
I'm sorry.
I'm just...weird...like...that. :C

Anyway.
Tried some new shading and lineart techniques...

...I have a very sympathetic view of Kabuto.
I think most of the blame for the person he's become lies on himself and his own decision.
But not all.
I blame Sasori and Orochimaru (both of whom who I love as well; don't get me wrong) almost as much.
Basically...we're all humans.
I've screwed up in my own life enough that I can't blame him for the way he turned out.
If I'd been in the same situation, I would've acted the same way.
Except I probably wouldn't have lasted as long as he has.
Poor kid...no one who's ever known who he really is has ever treated him like an actual human being, and not just a servant or a tool, have they?
It's sad.
I still hold out hope that Naruto can break that sad little pattern in his life, though...
After all.
Naruto can relate to /everyone/, ne?

Please, please consider giving me some critique. C: I'm happy with how it turned out, right now, but I know it's not perfect, so please let me know if anything looks off!

Art + Writing (c) ~crazyhighlander
Yakushi Kabuto (c) Masashi Kishimoto

Enjoy~
Comments/critique encouraged. C:

PS: It's a good size for a wallpaper, if you wanna use it. *le shrug* Let me know if you do!